1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capo device for a stringed musical instrument having series of strings extending along a fretboard with a series of frets, i.e. an instrument such as a guitar, lute, banjo and the like. Such an instrument is played by plucking the strings while using fingers to stop selected strings by holding them pressed down onto the fretboard, the string being "stopped" by the adjacent fret.
2. Prior art.
A capo, sometimes referred to as a "capotasto" is a device which can be used to hold strings independently of the fingers. Simple capo devices hold all the strings at once, usually against a particular fret, and change the basic key of the instrument. Others are known which can be used to press down and stop only selected strings.
Generally, capo devices do not allow different strings to be stopped at different locations. However, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,397, which issued Oct. 15,1991 to Leifheit, a kind of capo device, referred to as a "fingering device" is described for a guitar, in which a series of separate capo type elements are provided each with a bore by which the element is slidably mounted on one of the strings and is individually locatable to stop a string at a particular selected location. Each element has an undercut recess in its underside and can be individually held in position by having this recess engage one of the frets, which are made to protrude from the fretboard. The elements of the Leifheit device stop the strings directly, rather than hold the string against an adjacent fret, as is more usual with capo devices.
A perceived drawback of the Leifheit device is that the elements, when not in use, are simply pushed to the end of the strings near to the string nut which terminates the vibrating portion of the strings near the head of the guitar. It seems likely that in this position the elements, although no longer attached to the fretboard, would still vibrate with and thus affect the vibration of the strings.
The present invention seeks to provide a capo type device which overcomes these drawbacks, and is also easier to use than the Leifheit device. The device of this invention is easy to engage and disengage with the fretboard, it stops the strings in the usual way by holding them against adjacent frets, which are conventional frets, and it provides a storage area for the elements when they are not in use where they cannot vibrate with the strings.